The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing sheet material, in particular papers of value such as bank notes, checks, etc.
In the processing of bank notes, a stack of bank notes is inserted into an input pocket out of which the bank notes are singled. The singled bank notes are transferred to a transport system, checked by sensors and associated with output pockets in dependence on the check. The bank notes are thereby tested for authenticity, soiling, damage, etc., and sorted into the different output pockets accordingly. Bank notes that have not been recognized clearly or faultlessly are sorted into a special output pocket, a reject pocket.
In the processing of different groups of bank notes corresponding to different deposits which may come from different depositors, the different deposits are separated by separation cards. The separation cards are inserted between the different deposits to separate them. The separation cards can be disposed at the beginning, end or the beginning and the end of the group of bank notes forming the particular deposit. The separation cards can contain information for example about the depositor and/or the deposit. Further, the separation cards are so designed as to be automatically recognized by the sensors of the bank note processing machine during processing. When a separation card is recognized, the bank note processing machine can process the associated group of bank notes, account for the corresponding deposit and enter it in the books.
However, the processing of sheet material often involves faulty processing operations caused by disturbances such as jams or other operating disturbances. This can also result in mixture of sheet material coming from different groups of sheet material, or in a change in the order of sheet material to be processed. To eliminate the disturbances, such as jams, extensive interventions by operating persons are required because, for example, the sheet material already processed and accounted for before the disturbance must be taken into consideration by the operating person so that said accounting is not changed. Moreover, the operating person must manually sort the sheet sheet material accumulating due to disturbances. Such manual processing and consideration in accounting is elaborate and very error-prone.